Eatery Evicted

The café’s last day of operation will be April 20

ecolote is counting down to its last day of operation at the location the restaurant has occupied for the better part of 34 years. As SFR first reported, the eatery is being unexpectedly ousted from 1203 Cerrillos Road following a dispute with landlord Jerry Honnell.

A message emblazoned on the restaurant’s windows notes April 20, Easter Sunday, as their last day of business. A sign taped to the canary-yellow front door seals the deal. “The Tecolote is officially being evicted…[w]e don’t have a new home yet, but we will keep trying,” it reads. It also instructs to follow the establishment on Facebook for updates and concludes with a heartfelt “We love you, Santa Fe.”

Owner Katie Adkins, daughter or original founders Alice and Bill Jennison, is dealing with the impending closure, looking at potential properties, and above all, blown away by the outpouring of support by community members.

“The community was been amazingly supportive with help for us and also help for our employees—which has been my number one thing. These guys are gonna be out of a job,” she tells SFR.

“We’ve had a few excellent properties presented to us and I think we’ve got it narrowed down to two,” she says, noting that nothing is “carved in stone.” Cautiously, she opts not to over share any details, as it was a rumor of relocation published by the Albuquerque Journal North, Adkins says, that prompted the eviction to begin with.

Stress and all, Adkins is thankful to patrons who have shown their support during this time. “The response has been overwhelming,” she says, “and we’re feelin’ the love.”